Quotes from Reagan Mauia after the draft

Tombo (http://uhfootball.blogspot.com) sent me another awesome article about Reagan Mauia from the Lodi News-Sentinel.


About being drafted, Reagan said:
"It hasn't really sunk in yet. It feels like I just won some kind of award and everyone keeps congratulating me. It's just an incredible feeling. It probably won't hit me until I go home and see it in the eyes of my parents." (LNS)

Interesting note from LNS: Reagan was the first player from Lodi to be drafted since 1993!


Reagan didn't expect to be drafted and was falling asleep after watching the draft coverage for 5 hours when his phone rang:
"I wasn't going to answer. But I picked it up and it was the call I'd been waiting for." (LNS)


When Dolphins coach Cam Cameron called to ask him if he was watching the draft, Reagan said:
"I told him yeah. I didn't want to tell him I was going to sleep." (LNS)


When Cameron told him to watch his name come across the screen and welcomed him to the Dolphins, Reagan said:
"My heart started beating faster when my name came across the TV. And I said 'thank you.' Ever since I've been on cloud nine. I'm on cloud ten right now." (LNS)


About calling his parents in Stockton after he was drafted, Reagan said:
"Everyone was so excited I couldn't get two words out. There were tears of joy. A lot of prayers went into this draft, this pick." (LNS)


Giving Reagan high praise, JJ said:
"Of all the players I've ever coached, and that includes (Pro Bowl fullback) Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, Reagan is the most physical and best football player." (LNS)


Reagan's high school coach Jeff Tracy said about Reagan at Tokay High School:
"He was the most athletic big man we ever had. He was dominant. He weighed around 300 pounds and was running a 4.7 in the forty for us, and most running backs at Tokay since then don't do that." (LNS)


Tracy referred to how Reagan had a difficlt life when he was younger, saying:
"He's persevered. He's a survivor." (LNS)


About how he won't move to Miami anytime soon, Reagan said:
"I'm not ready to buy five acres just yet." (LNS)


Reagan's agent Max Hannemann was of course happy that Reagan was drafted, saying:
"It was a good day for Reagan. Not many fullbacks get drafted. I'm happy for him." (LNS)

LNS Note: "Hanneman says he'll try to get a threeor four-year deal for Mauia, and added sixth-round picks averaged about $80,000 in guaranteed money, or signing bonuses, last year. (The minimum salary for an NFL rookie in 2007 will be $285,000, but it's not guaranteed money.)"


About how he was named after President Reagan, Mauia said:
"That's the story my mom gave me. She told me about how Reagan was shot and how he survived. I'm a survivor. I'm just glad she didn't name me Ronald. I can deal with Reagan. Not to say anything bad, I just don't see myself as Ronald." (LNS)


About how he's related to Samson, Reagan said:
"His family mentioned we were family, but I've never really looked into it." (LNS)


About all of the phone calls he's been getting, Reagan said:
"I've been hearing from people that I haven't heard from in years. I don't even know some of them." (LNS)


About how he's much more popular on the UH campus than he was before the draft, Reagan said:
"I've experienced that being a football player, but it's went up like four levels. People are stopping to shake my hand and congratulate me and some are honking when they drive by. I feel like people are tying to mug me. It feels good to have that kind of attention, but you have to be careful." (LNS)


About the warm welcome he's been getting from Dolphin fans on blog sites, Reagan said:
"It feels good to be welcome." (LNS)


Happy that the draft is behind him, Reagan said:
"I'm just glad it's all over." (LNS)


About the measurement process that players go through, Reagan said:
"You're standing there half naked with all these people checking you out." (LNS)